Do vice presidential picks matter to voters? An expert explains

 

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The clock is ticking as Vice President Kamala Harris will soon decide who she wants as her running mate in the 2024 presidential race.

For the last two weeks, the Harris campaign has vetted potential vice-presidential picks, with three leading contenders meeting with Harris on Sunday. Those included Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona.

While it's a major decision for the campaign, do VP picks matter to voters?

Christopher Devine, an associate professor of political science at the University of Dayton, authored "Do Running Mates Matter," and says while they don't make a huge difference in elections, they still carry some weight.

Two aspects important to most voters in a vice-presidential candidate include qualities and qualifications, Devine said.

"If a presidential candidate meets that test of their pick, voters tend to be impressed," said Devine. "They see that as a good indication of what this person's leadership is going to look like once in office."

In key battleground states, vice president picks can also matter more to undecided voters.

Who Harris selects could also shift how voters view her, Devine added. It comes after Harris was perceived by voters as more liberal than Joe Biden shortly after he picked her leading up to the 2020 election.

"If Kamala Harris wants to bring things towards the center, she should pick a VP that comes from more of the center," he said. "That could change voters' minds. Not dramatically, but just enough to make a difference in her favor."

The momentous decision for Harris is also being made under an incredibly short timeline, which Devine said puts the campaign at an increased risk of missing something during the vetting process.

Once a decision is made, the Harris campaign will kick off a five-day, seven-city tour of battleground states with her VP.

One of those stops includes Eau Claire on Wednesday, the same day JD Vance announced Monday he'll hold a dueling campaign event.

It will be Vance's first official campaign visit to Wisconsin since becoming the vice president nominee for former President Donald Trump. Last month, Vance and Trump secured the party's nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.